Chapter 258: Shock! I'm Actually a Plant Incubus?! (2135)

Thirty-six Clear Breeze Trees meant three hundred and sixty of Lady Hedi's fruits.

According to Lu Ke, this was nearly equivalent to twenty years of their output—he couldn't imagine how long they had been accumulating it.

After the deal was struck, Li Ang prepared to take his leave.

But just then, Lady Hedi suddenly called out to him: "Mm, actually I have one more request."

"Could you let us touch you?"

As she spoke, the Clear Breeze Trees gathered around her immediately began to stir restlessly.

No—rather, Lady Hedi herself was somewhat restless.

As for Papachi—

The poor child had, at some unknown point, already drifted motionless onto the water's surface.

Looking at the scene before him, Li Ang was momentarily speechless.

Good lord, so the entire Clear Breeze Tree clan was cut from the same mold?

Clearly his neighbors back home had shown no such reaction.

Thinking of this, Li Ang sighed: "If you want to touch, then touch."

Sad news—poor little Li, for the sake of a big order, has sold his body without hesitation.

And upon receiving his consent, dense clusters of branches and vines immediately stretched toward him.

Looking at the Clear Breeze Trees that seemed as if they'd been electrocuted, Li Ang couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth; he could already roughly guess what was causing this behavior in the Clear Breeze Tree clan.

The special nature of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

After all, since the Ōtsutsuki could be used to feed the Divine Tree, it hardly seemed strange that they would hold some attraction for plants.

Fortunately, judging by the Clear Breeze Trees' behavior, it was only a mild attraction.

'So what am I, some kind of plant incubus?'

Looking at the Clear Breeze Trees drifting on the lake surface just like Papachi, Li Ang's face went numb.

Just then, Lady Hedi's deliberately composed, gentle voice rang out once more: "Mm, cough. You should stay by the lake for the next few days, my lord—it'll make our trade easier."

"... Alright."

Though the reason was perfectly legitimate, Li Ang saw straight through Lady Hedi's little scheme at a glance.

However, the Clear Breeze Tree clan's territory was indeed rather far from Central City, and for a large order like this, traveling back and forth would be genuinely troublesome, so in the end he still chose not to refuse.

"I wonder what other materials you'll need, my lord? I'll have the children prepare them in advance."

"Large quantities of metal—nothing else is required."

"Understood."

After this exchange, Li Ang used his Rinne Sharingan to guide the small boat Lu Ke was riding, drifting it toward the shore.

Just as when he had arrived, a great number of juvenile Clear Breeze Trees still gathered here, but with their size, they couldn't reach Li Ang, who was now suspended in midair.

After setting Lu Ke down on the ground, Li Ang sat cross-legged in empty air, resting his right hand on his knee and asked: "Do you want to head back first? I'll probably be staying here for a while."

The cost of opening spatial passages was still considerable; he likely wouldn't be able to return to Central City anytime soon.

Hearing this, Lu Ke nodded: "I was originally waiting for you to come back. Now that we've established contact with the Clear Breeze Tree clan, I'll go complete my class change."

"You've met the requirements?"

Li Ang was somewhat surprised—he hadn't expected Lu Ke had been waiting for him this whole time without going to complete his class change requirements.

Seeing Li Ang's reaction, Lu Ke immediately grew smug: "Don't you underestimate me—"

But before he could finish, he remembered that the man before him was already a Third Energy Grade powerhouse, and his face immediately fell as he said listlessly: "Sigh, you monsters will never understand us ordinary folk."

With that, the young master waved his hand and vanished from Li Ang's sight.

Not long after Lu Ke's departure, the metals Li Ang required were delivered by the Clear Breeze Trees.

Soon, a small alchemy workshop occupying very little ground area appeared by the lake.

Though called an alchemy workshop, its only function was amplifying Word Spirits—but for Li Ang, that was already enough, and besides, his original purpose was simply to have a place to rest temporarily.

Looking at the water jars neatly arranged by the lake, he drew a light breath to steady his emotions, then used his Rinne Sharingan to pull them into the alchemy workshop.

Time to get to work.

……

A mountain range covered in dense vegetation lay motionless upon the earth like a crouching giant beast.

Before a colossal ancient tree that pierced the clouds and blotted out the sky stood a dozen or so trees of varying species and sizes.

At that moment, an aged voice, deep as a great bell, rang out.

"Two days ago, the 9000th Group Army stationed in our star sector sent word—they want us to deliver this season's tribute early."

"Go in my place to each clan and press for collection."

Upon hearing this voice, the trees before the ancient tree immediately began to tremble.

After a while, a somewhat younger voice rang out.

"Lord Duonuo, might I ask the reason the Group Army requires us to deliver our tribute early this time?"

Hearing this, the aged voice replied: "The Group Army is currently engaged in battle with a Zerg Brood Mother, so they need us to deliver our tribute ahead of schedule."

"Then can this year's regular tribute be canceled?"

"No."

Silence fell once more before the ancient tree.

After a moment, the aged voice spoke again: "Dong Donglong, the Clear Breeze Tree clan is still your responsibility—best have Lady Hedi cough up a few more Clear Breeze Fruits."

"Understood."

After this brief exchange, the variously shaped trees before the ancient tree instantly withered away, leaving only that towering ancient tree still standing tall among the mountain range.

……

The territory of the Clearwater Tree Clan.

Li Ang looked at yet another water tank he had finished modifying, and let out a long breath.

'I've completed half the task, at least.'

【Completed one alchemical task: Professional Experience +1240】.

【Dragon Vein Alchemist Lv14 (412/7000)】.

'If I keep this up, Dragon Vein Alchemist will reach max level soon.'

With this thought, Li Ang, weary, pinched the bridge of his nose.

Three days had passed since he took on the Clearwater Tree Clan's order, and in those three days he had not closed his eyes once.

'Rest for half a day, then continue.'

Though exhausted, upon seeing the one hundred and seventy deep green fruits in his space ring, Li Ang felt renewed energy surge through him.

Just as he was about to close his eyes for a brief rest, his movement suddenly halted.

'Some trees are coming.'

In Li Ang's perception, several trees with a metallic sheen were slowly approaching the Clearwater Tree Clan's territory.

'Visiting?'

Li Ang paid it no mind, for in his perception, the strongest of those trees was no more than Second Tier.

After a while, a voice synthesized from electronics sounded outside the alchemy workshop.

"Huh? When did a new building appear here?"

At the sound of that voice, Li Ang immediately opened his eyes.

For in his perception, the trees outside were tugging at his alchemy workshop.